It is with a personal sadness that the Diary records the death of Maureen (Mor) Reihill, née Byrne, of Ballsbridge, Dublin, and originally from Kilcullen, on the evening of 26 September, 2014. She was 97.

She is survived by her daughter Orla, and was predeceased by her son Shane and her husband Jim. Mor was the daughter of the late James J Byrne Snr and his wife Mary, and the last surviving sibling of Jim Byrne, Tom Byrne, and Kath O’Reilly.

Maureen’s remains will repose at her home on Monday 29 September, between 2-8pm. Her funeral mass will be celebrated at 10am on Tuesday 30 September in the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Merrion Row, Dublin. Her burial will take place afterwards in New Abbey Cemetery, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, at 12 noon.

My mother Kathryn(“Kath”)’s (http://wp.me/p15Yzr-k7) dearly beloved eldest sister, Auntie Mor’s passing on Friday marked the end of a “Byrnes of Kilcullen” generation, whose precocious talents brought so much conviviality, escapade, involvement, commitment, and true wit to the lives of so many many people, a legacy which, I for one can confirm, continues to percolate through the genes of their children and grandchildren.

I am very happy that Auntie Mor, a true devoted and loyal daughter of Ireland – who loved singing, baking (some of my fondest memories 🙂 ), her many friends and her two precious children, Shane (http://wp.me/p15Yzr-4) and Orla – will be returning home to her final resting place in Kilcullen.

It’s almost 68 years to the day on 28th August 1945 when the photograph below of twenty-three Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Corps (HKVDC) prisoners of war (POW) who were on the verge of liberation following their internment at Yoshima POW Camp (Sendai No. 2 Branch Camp (#2-B)) in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture was snapped.

It was at this POW Camp where Private John Bernard PatrickByrne – Barney-, HKVDC #4732, and POW #96 was to spend:

“13 months incarcerated … nine months incapacitated by amoebic dysentery …. and five months used as a slave labourer inside the Iwake coal-mine run by the Furukawa Mining Company“

as written in ‘Diary of War: Private John Bernard Patrick Byrne (a.k.a “Barney”), HKVDC #4732, and Irish Prisoner of the Japanese in Shamshuipo and Sendai (1941-1945)’ https://nialljoreilly.com/2012/12/07/john-bernard-patrick-byrne-barney/ – “the remarkable account of life as an Irish prisoner of the Japanese by an extraordinary man, “Uncle” Barney Byrne“.

On 5th August, while perusing a photograph album dating back to the 1930s belonging to my late mother Kathryn O’Reilly, I came upon two photographs of Barney during his childhood and as a young adult.

“… a tatamie bunkmate of Barney’s “(Barney) and others of the HKVDC (mixture of British, Polish, French Norwegian, Swede, Czech and a few Americans) shared the same No.2 (combined hospital) hut with some 120 odd Portuguese POWs from Nos.5 and 6 Portuguese Coy HKVDC (and worked in the same shifts in separate shafts in the coalmines).”

There are also a variety of nationalities in the photo. My attention was soon focused on the somewhat malnourished and tired looking man sitting at the far right of the bottom row.

Compare this man’s nose, the ears, the eyes and hair parting of to the two photographs from my mother’s album below. Re-checking his diary entries for 28th and 29th of August 1945 in one instance Barney Byrne complains of having gone 72 hours without sleep, while in another instance he notes: “Photographs taken today – personnel only” .

After sixty-eight years the face now has a name: Private John Bernard PatrickByrne – Barney – HKVDC #4732 – Irish Prisoner of the Japanese in Shamshuipo, Hong Kong, and Sendai, Japan (1941-1945)

“… when fighting was certain, and either capture or death highly likely (Barney) doesn’t show one glimpse of regret or self-pity. What a remarkable man…“

On the ground, at the outset, this summer’s day didn’t appear to have anything particularly unforgettable about it, at least in the USA, as reporters and the stock markets sought to digest President Calvin Coolidge announcement the previous day of his decision not to run for President in 1928. All right, so Gordon Scott, the celebrated Tarzan, was born, while Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller controversially denied a request for clemency for Nicola Sacco and Bertolomeo Vanzetti after receiving arguments concerning the fairness of their murder trial. However, the release of The Beauty Parlor, a film starring Danny O’ Shea, according to the grapevine really wasn’t anything to write home about.

Up in the air and away from terra ferma, though, things were decidedly more attention-grabbing. A 1,000 watt radio station established contact with an aircraft 150 miles from the station, while Charles Lindbergh, who, two months earlier had made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris, started a three-month tour of the country in his custom-built airplane the Spirit of St. Louis. Not to be outdone, across the big pond in the Fatherland German Junker pilots Risztics and Edzard flew a Junker W33 airplane for a distance of 4,660 kilometres, to set a new distance world record. They needed 52 hours and 22 minutes for that flight.

How unremarkable was the day developing into on that small speck of an island propping up the “Irish Free State” [Ireland only declared itself a republic on 21st December 1948]? Although habitually accused of emanating hot air, the legislative assembly, Dáil Éireann, with its feet firmly on the ground, was heatedly debating the Public Safety Order Bill (third stage), which, with a view to cracking down on the “insurgents” who days earlier had assassinated Kevin O Higgins, the Vice President, would grant authority to ‘the powers that be’ to declare a state of emergency, and set up military courts. One would have supposed a very jittery state of affairs for an island recovering from the ruins of civil war.

Assume not. The unmistakable whiff of a ‘business as usual’ atmosphere was also filtering through as members of the Dáil on this day raised questions on subjects as diverse as the administration of the Lunacy Department and the provision of State funds for the construction of a landing place at Barley Cove, down in Cork [a request, which, should you are interested to know (I’m certainly not) was turned down for the reasons that “…. the number of locally-owned yawls [or two-masted sailing vessels] is very small, and the fishing for herrings in the Cove is at present being carried on by an adequate number of motor yawls and boats from outlying districts which land their catches at Baltimore”]. A jittery situation indeed. What is more, even the Joint Dáil Restaurant Committee held a meeting [I didn’t come across any records mentioning a sitting of the Joint Bar Committee, even if I suspect most committee meetings at the time were held in the bar!].

What makes all this odds and ends law-making of interest to me is the mere fact that Dáil Éireann was even sitting in August [in this day and age Ireland’s highly-paid legislators ˗local constituency messenger boys and girls as we like to call them˗ are partial to giving themselves a lengthy summer break of at least two months]. And yet, if the following exchange is anything to go by, a hint of the slothfulness that is all too apparent nowadays was already palpable on 3rd August 1927,

The President of the Executive Council: “I move:

“That the Dáil sit later than 9 p.m., and that the Order for the Adjournment be taken not later than 8 a.m. to-morrow.”

Mr. Morrissey (esteemed member of the legislature)

“I oppose the idea of sitting all night. I think it is an outrageous suggestion.”

To be sure.

Unremarkable a day so far? Well, not quite. Up at the Goffs Bloodstock Sales in Ballsbridge a horsy friend approached bloodstock auctioneer James Byrne Senior to congratulate him. James, acknowledging the good wishes with his usual aplomb, thought the man was referring to his recent sale of a fine looking filly (female horse). “No James I am not talking about a horse. Your wife has just given birth to a baby daughter” Fifty miles away in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Mary “Min” Byrne, James’ wife, was resting upstairs in Byrne’s Hotel (See picture below Byrne’s Hotel -circ. 1925- now The Hideout*) having just given birth to my mother, Kathleen (Kathryn) Nora Mary. What appears to have been a rather run of the mill day was indeed very special. Happy 85th Mum!!. As your father used to tell you, you have a fine pair of fetlocks!

‘Byrne’s Hotel’, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Ireland in a photograph circ. 1927, the year my mother Kathryn O’Reilly nee Byrne was born on the second floor. ‘Byrne’s Hotel was opened by Grandfather James J Byrne Senior in Christmas 1925. The building was constructed in 1855 and soon after named The’Magnolia Hotel’. In 1903 it was renamed Flanagan’s Motor Bar. ‘Byrne’s Hotel’ lasted until 1950 when it assumed ‘The Hideout’ moniker (Source: Cousin Brian Byrne, Kilcullen’s man of knowledge),

The less than 50 words notice of his death in today’s Irish Times, three days after a heart-attack at a Health Services Executive (HSE) -run sheltered housing facility portray a mere name, a faceless statistic. Shane was so much more: A quiet man, a gentle man a straightforward and honest man: As decent a man one could ever hope to meet. Heart-rending are the circumstances that was Shane’s fifty-two years, solitude having become a life sentence.

I have superb abiding memories of First Cousin Shane: A man of considerable, largely unnurtured, artistic talent. The Texaco Children’s Art Competition award he won at St Michael’s College, Ailesbury Road, back in the 1970s being an early indication of such ability, Shane went on to UCD where he attained the Degree of Bachelor of Architecture, a source of great satisfaction for his beloved mother Maureen (http://wp.me/p15Yzr-175) and sister Orla. Recently, Shane painted two miniature exquisite, yet simple, water colour paintings for my Mother, ‘Auntie Kath’. Shane, they will always take pride of place in our house.

Then there was Shane in green overalls fixing show-jumping fences at the Dublin Horse Show’s Aga Khan Cup, a dream summer job. Another memory is Christmas Dinner at our house, a paper hat on his head, a big cigar in his mouth… he was only 17.

He was the first person to call me Nailer.

Shane, Auntie Kath, William, Conor and Nailer are greatly saddened you have departed this world, but we know you will surely rest in peace.

O’Reilly, with its variants Riley and R (e) illy, comes from the Irish Ui Raghallaigh, “grandson of Raghallach” thought to be from ragh meaning “race” and ceallach meaning “sociable”. The family was part of the Connachta tribal grouping and the particular Raghallach, and Irish chieftain from whom the name is derived is said to have been a descendant of the O’Conor kings of Connacht. A great-grandson of Maomordha, he lived at the time of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and, like him, died at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

The O’Reillys were for centuries the dominant ruling family of the kingdom of East Breifne, and at their height controlled most of counties Cavan and Longford and large parts of county Meath, despite many attempts by their main rivals, the O’Rourkes, to make it otherwise.

The chiefs were inaugurated on the Hill of Shantramon (Seantoman or Shantoman) between Cavan and Ballyhaise, in Castleterra parish on the summit of which may still be seen the remains of a Pagan Druidical temple consisting of three huge stones standing upright and known as Fionn McCool’s fingers. In later times the O’Reillys were inaugurated on the Hill of Tullymongan, above the town of Cavan; and took the tribe name of Muintir Maolmordha or the People of Maolmordha, one of their celebrated chiefs. This name Maolmordha or Mulmora was Latinized “Milesius” and anglicised “Miles” or “Myles,” – a favourite personal name among the members of the clan.

The patron saint of the O’Reilly family was St. Maedoc.

The Right Hand Symbol, a symbolic representation of God the Father in the Middle Ages, was the principal symbol of the clan.

The primary place of residence and Castle was Ballyreilly (Baile Ui Raghallaigh)

Their religious zeal is evident from the following foundations that were endowed by them: Monastery of the Augustinian Canons Premontre (Trinity Island, Lough Oughter, County Cavan, founded by Cathal O’Reilly, Prince of Breifne, circ 1237); Franciscan Monastery, Cavan town, founded by Gilla Isa Ruadh O’Reilly, King of Breifne, in 1300; Franciscan Brothers, Third Order Conventual, founded in 1414 by William O’Reilly at Thacineling, County Leitrim; Inchamore Abbey, Lough Gowna, County Cavan; while abbots of the O’Reilly family ruled the Monastery of Canons Regular of St. Augustine, Kells, County Meath from 1423 to 1523.

They were also renowned in medieval Ireland for their involvement in trade; their success may be gauged by the fact the “reilly” was at one point a colloquial term for money in Ireland, for the O’Reillys were the only clan in Ireland known to have a money system, their own coinage, which encroached on the monetary system of the English Pale and of Britain before being banned in 1447. What use they made of their prosperity can only be conjectured, but the phrase “the life of Reilly” is suggestive. After the collapse of Gaelic power in the seventeenth century, large numbers emigrated to serve in the armies of France, while many joined Colonel Edmund O’Reilly’s regiments in Austrian and Spanish armies during the 1700s.

The connection with the original homeland is still strong, however; even today (O’) Reilly is the single most numerous surname in both Cavan and Longford. The return of the prefix has been spectacular. Less than 10% give their name as “O’Reilly” in 1890, but almost 60% in 1996. The O’Reilly name is extremely common (as is Wang in China, or Kim in Korea) and widespread throughout Ireland, ranked the 8th most common in 1890 and 11th in 1996.

Myles Maolmordha O’Reilly, better known as Myles “the Slasher” O’Reilly fought his great fight as the heroic defender on the Bridge of Finea in Co. Cavan in 1644 where he and a band of one hundred held out against a 1,000-strong Cromwellian army. O’Reilly is commemorated by a cross in the main street of Finea, a pretty village on the banks of the River Inny.

Count Alexander O’Reilly (1722-1794) was born in Baltrasna, Co. Meath. Like so many of his “Wild Geese” generation, during the penal times he left Ireland and fight Spanish army. He became Governor of Madrid and Cadiz, and Captain-General of Andalucia. As a Field Marshal and Count, his later career took him to Cuba in 1769 to quell a rebellion. Many his of O’Reilly descendants are still to be found in Cuba. His name is recorded in one of Havana’s streets: Calle Orely.

GRANDFATHER’S BROTHER: Stephen James, son of John O’Reilly II, m. Elizabeth O’Toole (whose family have a tradition of descent from the O’Tooles of Wicklow) and had issue: Cathal; Elizabeth (Lilly).GREAT GRANDFATHER: John O’Reilly II, son of John O’Reilly I and Anne Craddock; m. Mary Lyons, and had issue: John Joseph; Stephen James; Michael William I;Mary Anne (Molly).

GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER: John O’Reilly I of Templemills, Celbridge, born circa 1828-1832, son of Thomas Reilly and Anna Lynch, m. Anne Craddick (Craddock), 11 Oct. 1858 (Register of Celbridge), and has issue: John O’Reilly II and Michael O’Reilly.

GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER: Thomas Reilly II, of Templemills, who m. Anna Lynch, circa 1812-1828, son of Thomas Reilly I of Templemills.

GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER: Thomas Reilly I of Templemills, born circa 1792 son of James O’Reilly of Templemills.

GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER: James O’Reilly of Templemills, born in County Cavan circa 1762-1777 (descended from Colonel Myles “the Slasher” O’Reilly) m. (Anne Gorey?), circa 1792.

Myles ‘The Slasher’ O’Reilly looks over the village of Finea

As Colonel Myles died in 1644, there must be three or four generations missing between him and my GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER James O’Reilly of Templemills.

Sons of the Slasher

The following is the pedigree of Colonel Myles O’Reilly, from Burke’s “Landed Gentry”, O’Hart’s “Irish Pedigrees, “The Dictionary of National Biography”, the Preface by O’Donovan to Carlton’s “Willie Reilly”, and the manuscript 23.D.9:-

From Myles “the Slasher” O’Reilly’s sons John, Philip, or Edmund, according to constant family tradition, is descended my GRANDFATHER Captain Michael William “M.W.” O’Reilly, I.R.A. 1916 (Commandant in P.H. Pearse’s division, holding the General Post Office during the Easter 1916 Rising against British rule in Ireland).

Alexander O’Reilly was born in Baltrasna, Co. Meath in 1722. Military tradition ran in the family; his grandfather John O’Reilly was a colonel in the army of King James II, whose regiment—‘O’Reilly’s Dragoons’—fought at the siege of Derry.

Colonel John O’Reilly died on 17 February 1716. His wife was Margaret O’Reilly of County Cavan and they had five children, Brian, Eugene, Myles, Cornelius and Thomas.

The latter Thomas O’Reilly, father of Alexander, married Rose MacDowell of County Roscommon. Their four children were James, Nicholas, Dominic and Alexander.

Thomas O’Reilly left Ireland with his family and settled in Zaragoza, Spain where Alexander O’Reilly was educated. Aged only eleven, Alexander O’Reilly joined the Spanish army as a cadet in the Regimento de Infanteria de Hibernia, or Hibernia Regiment, formed in 1705. He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in 1739 (he was 17 years old), the year that war broke out with Britain and Austria. His regiment was sent to Italy to confront the Austrians. He showed such outstanding bravery and ability in several battles that he was promoted to Infantry Lieutenant. In the Battle of Campo Santo he was badly injured and lay all night on the field with other wounded and dead. The following morning, about to be bayoneted by an Austrian soldier, he convinced him he was of a wealthy Spanish family and worth a ransom. He was taken before the Austrian commander, who, as luck would have it, was another Irishman called Browne (Austrian military leader and scion of the “Wild Geese”, Maximilian Ulysses, Reichsgraf von Browne, Baron de Camus and Mountany), who had O’Reilly’s wounds tended to, and returned him to the Spanish side, but with a permanent limp as a result of his wounds.

Peace was signed and Alexander O’Reilly returned to Spain, now third in command of the Irish brigade Regimento de Infanteria de Hibernia or Hibernia Regiment. He immediately petitioned the king for a temporary transfer to the Austrian army, no longer at war with Spain, but now with Frederick the Great of Prussia. The Prussian army was renowned for its advanced tactics of manoeuvre and attack, and O’Reilly’s proposal was to study these with the view to their incorporation in the Spanish army.

In 1757 he joined the Austrian army, and distinguished himself against the Prussians at Hochkirchen, in 1758. The following year he entered the French service and assisted at the Battle of Bergen (1759), and the taking of Minden and Corbach.

War having broken out between Spain and Portugal, he re-entered the Spanish service, was made a Lieutenant-General / Brigadier, and defeated the Portuguese before Chaves, in 1762.

After campaigning in the Spanish invasion of Portugal not only was Alexander O’Reilly / Alejandro O’Reilly viewed as a fighting soldier, but also as an expert in military strategy and his recommendations for the tactical restructuring of the Spanish armed forces were approved. He subsequently swore allegiance to Spain and rose to become a Brigadier General.

Alejandro O’Reilly stayed acting as Adjutant and second-in-command for the new Governor of Cuba Conde de Ricla. While in Havana (Havannah), Ricla and O’Reilly received the city back from the British forces that had besieged and occupied it at the end of the Seven Years’ War.

Alejandro O’Reilly analysed what had gone wrong with the defenses of Havannah during the successful British siege in 1762, and recommended sweeping reforms to completely reorganise the defense of the island, while also calling for the introduction of a new justice system, increasing agricultural production, with a guaranteed market in Spain, and beef production. His recommendations were quickly approved by the Spanish Crown.

In 1765 he saved the life of King Charles III (King Carlos III) in a popular tumult in Madrid and was awarded by being sent Alejandro O’Reilly to Puerto Rico to assess the state of the defenses of that colony. Alejandro O’Reilly, known today as the “father of the Puerto Rican militia,” took a very detailed census of the island and recommended numerous reforms, including the instilling of strict military discipline in the local troops. He insisted that the men serving the defense of the Spanish crown receive their pay regularly and directly, rather than indirectly from their commanding officers, an old practice that had led to abuses. Some of O’Reilly’s recommendations resulted in a massive 20-year program of building up the Castle of Old San World Heritage Site.

Returning to Cuba, Alejandro O’Reilly married into a prominent Cuban family. His wife, Dona Rosa de Las Casas, was the sister of Luis de Las Casas, who served as Governor of Cuba. Today there is a street in Old Havannah “Calle Orely”, which is still named for O’Reilly, marking the location where this he came ashore while the English were embarking to leave.

Captain General of Louisiana

Alejandro O’Reilly was appointed Governor and Captain-General of colonial Louisiana while in Spain in April 1769, with orders to put down the revolt in Louisiana, and re-establish order.

Arriving in New Orleans from Cuba in August 1769, O’Reilly took formal possession of Louisiana. O’Reilly then held trials and severely punished those French Creoles responsible for the expulsion of Spain’s first Governor Antonio de Ulloa from the colony.

He is still remembered in New Orleans as “‘Bloody’ O’Reilly” because he had six prominent rebel Frenchmen executed in October 1769.

Having crushed the ringleaders who had led the Rebellion of 1768, O’Reilly turned his attention on administratively getting Louisiana back on its feet, and stabilising the food supply.

O’Reilly reformed many French bureaucratic practices and his proclamations and rulings affected many aspects of life in Spanish Louisiana, including the ability of slaves to buy their freedom, and the ability for masters to more easily manumit slaves. He also banned the trade of Native American slaves.

He regularized the weights and measurements used in marketplaces, regulated doctors and surgeons, and improved public safety by funding bridge and levee maintenance.

The affront to the self-esteem of the Spanish Crown having been quickly dealt with, and good public order restored, O’Reilly efforts had firmly positioned Louisiana as a dependency of the military and political establishment in Cuba.

Return to Spain

Back in Spain after October 1770, the king honoured O’Reilly with the title ‘Conte’ O’Reilly. He resumed his duties as Inspector General of Infantry, and then was named Inspector-General of Infantry and Governor of Madrid, which gave him control of all civil and criminal administration.

In 1775, O’Reilly was given command of a major Spanish expedition to Algiers, and it is said that jealously amongst the Spanish officers resulted in the ill-fated attack which left 2,000 soldiers dead and thousands injured. Although this North African campaign was a national humiliation, Alejandro O’Reilly was still held in high esteem by the king, who in 1776 appointed him Captain General of Andalucía and Governor of Cadiz, the key port connecting Europe with the Americas. He was very much at home in the political ambience of the time that was enlightened absolutism, and tight control from the centre attempting to resolve old ills and reform introduce reform. When he resigned in 1786 most of the people he worked with in Andalucía were full of praise for his energetic and authoritarian character as well as his special talent for implementing change.

He died in Bonete, near Albacete, Spain, in 1794, aged 72, while on his way to take command of Spanish force in the Eastern Pyrenees that had been ordered to resist, on behalf of French royalists, invading French revolutionary forces, following the beheading of Louis XVI during the French Revolutionary wars.

Sources:

1). “The O’Reillys of Templemills, Celbridge and a pedigree from the old Irish manuscripts brought up to dat, with a note on the history of the clann Ui Raighilligh in general”

Ever received an email from a person you haven’t met since you were about 15 (like a few leagues ago!!!)? Well, that’s what transpired last Monday when I opened my Inbox to find the email below from my “Uncle Garreth in China”. Uncle? Was this some sort of joke? All my uncles have already gone to meet their maker, my mother’s brother Tom having passed away at the end 2006… “Yep”, I deliberated, “no uncles”, a reflection quickly followed by three seconds of contemplation and ding ding ding jackpot time: My cousin Garreth Byrne. Wow! Astonishing. You’re Jim Byrne’s son and I am Kathryn Byrne’s son so that would make us “Level 1’ cousins.

Well, its fantastic to hear from you Garreth, and the way you found me…. searching the Net…what a small world this really is. Looksmart (www.looksmart.com) would appear to have a little information on all of us… don’t search my name (不好意思)….

2007 has been a remarkable year for hearing from cousins and childhood friends I haven’t seen for over twenty years: First, there was meeting my first cousin Allen Byrne last January, his sister Catriona Byrne, last February, her brother David Byrne, last month and an email from his sister Marella Fyffe, again last month. It’s brilliant to be back in touch with all the Byrnes because they’re all great craic… Just look at what they all do for a living: horses, teaching English, more horses, calibration pumps, travelling, eco-tourism, radio show host, village newspaper editor, house-wife …. And then there our side of acupuncture, waste management, pizzas, burgers and me…and the artist-cum-gardener-cum-home-maker… (I tend to view myself more as of a Byrne than an O’Reilly… because I like a bit of a laugh and there is only side of the family that enjoys taking life not too seriously). No interest in meeting any O’Reilly side of the family cousins… (a dreary bunch: hard to get a laugh out of any of them)… Anyway continuing on … I met Naomi Harbison-Hansen in Qingdao last June. We were next door neighbours during our childhood, and haven’t met for decades… I didn’t know she’d already been living in Qingdao for two years. She and her family left China at the end of June. A small world indeed.

Nanchang, Jianxi Province. Monday. Niall, You would only have a vague childhood memory of me. I came across your blogsite via A Kilcullen Diary. I can’t access my brother Brian’s website but could download yours. (Blogspot sites aren’t available in China). I came here to teach English at a university in March and will complete my contract next January.

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